Marco Verratti has impressed in a more advanced role for PSG against Real Madrid in the Champions League, sparking debate on social media about the Italy international’s standing.
With Neymar only fit for the bench, Verratti seemed to be playing in a slightly more advanced role than usual in the Paris Saint-Germain midfield.
He was asked to both neutralise Luka Modric and set the tempo for the forward passing moves to Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi.
The 29-year-old Italy international certainly made an impact in the first half at Parc des Princes, especially on those who normally don’t watch him play regularly.
Italy’s midfield key during UEFA EURO 2020 gained several new fans this evening and much of the Twitter talk was about his performance.
Of course, this is still Verratti, so he was also booked by Italian referee Daniele Orsato after 39 minutes for his 11th yellow card of the season.